How did Hooking up become the norm?

Hookup culture, it’s what everyone is doing now. When it comes to the relationships youth are having today, hooking up is the norm. Friends with benefits, situationship, grooming, these are all examples of common romantic predicaments young people find themselves in that aren’t actually committed relationships. 

In my opinion, a big reason why hookup culture has become so predominant and such a problem is, one, because of the internet. At no point in history have we ever been as lonely of a society as we are today. People live by themselves in their apartment, go to work, and occasionally see their friends if they have spare time. Love just like the internet can become addictive. In a world where we have a plethora of options at our fingertips, users of social media have gotten used to instant gratification. With dating apps it is easy to message someone you don’t know and meet up with them that day and possibly hook up. That is what people are interested in now, something quick to fill this lonely void and the human need that we all have. Getting a quick fix with someone we don’t even know we temporarily manage to accomplish satisfying our human desires. 

Another reason I think the youth has gradually evolved to hook up culture is because women are more sexually independent. Before women were more stubborn about having sexual relations with just anyone, and for many reasons. As a woman myself, you grow up your whole life with other people telling you about what you should do with your body. Loved ones and people you don’t know telling you that your virginity is the most valuable thing that you possess. Naturally women became selective of who they wanted their partners to be. In the 80’s there was a shift in the feminist movement and women started expressing their sexuality more. Women expressed that they wanted to be sexually independent and not shamed for it. This is a great concept in theory, given that both sexes wouldn’t have to face social backlash. The problem with this is that, once men noticed that women were willing to easily have sex with whoever they were attracted to, men stopped putting in effort. What has now resulted in women reporting that they can find a man that will commit to them, because they know that if he doesn't quickly hookup with her, he can easily find someone else who is willing. 

Although it might seem like today's generation is very sexually active given the image that hook up culture portrays, young people today are actually having less sex at their age than their parents did. Young people are also marrying and getting into fewer relationships, and are doing so at later ages. I have many friends that have complained to me about hookup culture and I am aware that this issue bothers them, as it does me. This is a difficult problem to solve, but I look forward to seeing how today's generation will handle this issue.